Demos: The good, the bad and the ugly (and a crash course with Sanusi Junid)

A peaceful masked protester from a developed country. Click HEREto read story

"Malaysia is OUR COUNTRY ... do not let the likes of Ibrahim Ali or Ambiga, and those bent on tearing Malaysia apart for their benefits, to prevail." - Tony Yew in his posting Don't Push It, written after he lodged a police report against

another blogger who had asked all Christians to march for the persecution against "us and our Lord".

Bangkok street protests: Soldier beaten up

Jakarta street protest: Clashes

Manila burning

Singapore: No mercy towards trouble makers so protesters work hard to look real harmless

Myanmar protests: No mercy towards anyone, no matter how harmless

Last night my brother-in-law called from Singapore to say that he was postponing his trip back to our kampung in Melaka next week. He had been told that it would not be safe to travel in Malaysian because of the Bersih walk. I told him that if he was driving up only to Melaka and not planning to visit KL, it should be OK. Still, he said he'd play it safe. He and my sister will go back to kampung the following week, after the demonstrations.

Wow, what have they been hearing about us in Singapore?

This morning I thought of calling back my sister to tell her that she and hubby shouldn't postpone their drive up. But I realized that I can't blame them for deciding to stay away during the July 9 weekend. When they demonstrated in Bangkok, Yangon, Jakarta and Manila, where lives were lost in street clashes between police and demonstrators and demonstrators vs other demonstrators from rival political parties, the rest of the world sat back and watched from the safety of their living rooms.

I took part in the Bersih 1.0 in 2007 because the organizers assured us it was apolitical. It turned out to be anything but. At the end of the walk, near the Istana, the organisers set up their political circus. Big Opposition names suddenly emerged in front of tv cameras to peform their tricks. No, Bersih can't fool me twice and claim to be apolitical.

On July 9, I'm sure there will be some unsuspecting would-be marchers, who believe that they are wearing yellow for a good cause and not for some people's hidden political agenda. But they should be told at least that there will be another group of marchers, who will be clad in red, who are serving the political interests of some other people. If these two groups clash, you think they are going to hug each other and exchange greetings and phone numbers?

Most unlikely.

On Twitter, some individuals who are defending Bersih (but who are unlikely to take part because they are outstation or due to other unforeseen circumstances) continue to argue that the authorities are discriminating against Bersih. They cited events such as the recent gathering of 1 million youths in Putrajaya and even the people's demonstration against the British led by the Malay leaders in the pre-Merdeka days.

Sanusi Junid, the former Cabinet minister who has taken part in demonstrations in London and Acheh, explains the difference between good demonstrations and bad demonstrations (like good cholesterol and bad cholesterol), H E R E.

And if you think the cops in developed countries just watch and smile at demonstrators because it's their democratic right to gather and march, try this picture from the 2009 protest in London where one man died and fake police uniforms were found after the protests ...